Conveyer system for cargo airports



- y 1949- J. GONZALEZ ETAL 2,470,696

CONVEYER SYSTEM FOR CARGO AIRPORTS Filed Nov. 16, 1944 5 ets-Sheet 1 May 17, 1949. J-. GONZALEZ ETAL CONVEYER SYSTEM FOR CARGO AIRPORTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 16, 1944 INVENTORS 4 iii;

y 1949. J. GONZALEZ ETAL 70,696

CONVEYER SYSTEM FOR CARGO AIRPORTS Filed N v, 1 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 May 17, 1949. J. GONZALEZ ETAL CONVEYER SYSTEM FOR CARGO AIRPORT 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Nov. 16, 1944 INVENTORS.

Patented May 17, 1949 Jorge Gonzalez, Torreon Mexico, and

' Yusuf Meer, Wyckoff ,N. Ji

Application November 16, 1944, Serial No. 563,656

' 14 Claims. (01. lea-4 The very nature of airplanes makes the loading and unloading'oflarge quantities-of baggage, express, or freighton or from theman awkward, laborious and time-consuming matter. This is particularly true "in dealingwith most heavy articles offreight, "Whethercrated or not, and even'with smaller articles in large volumes. With the present facilities this often results in congestion around the'planes themselves, adds to the man-power required for these purposes, reduces the volume of air-borne traffic which can be handled with a given number of planes, and increases the length of time which the planes must remain idle. I I

The present invention is especially concerned with'the foregoing considerations,- and, it aims to devise a," thoroughly practical solution for the problem presented by them. -In particular, it is an object of'the invention to provide freight terminaliacilities which will reduce thetime, labor and expense involved in both the loading and unloading operations; and in the transfer of the freight to'storage', to the consignee, or to transportation facilities of some other type. For convenience the term freight will be herein used to designate the cargo carried by the planes, regardless of its nature and of the more specific classifications, such as express or baggage, which may apply to parts'of it.-

The nature or the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read'in connection with the accompanying drawings; and the novel 'featureswill be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

"In the drawings, Y

Fig. 1 is a plan view, largely diagrammatic in character, showing a section of a freightterminal embodying features of this invention;

Fig. 2 is'a perspective view, also somewhat diagrammatic, further illustrating features of the arrangement shown in Fig; 1;

Fig. 3 isa plan View on a larger scale of a distribution center:

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, showing additional details of an arrangement provided for the handlin distribution or collection of the freight and itsrouting toand from the point of, loading or unloading;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a section of a conveyor construction adapted for use in the system illustrated in Fig. 47-" Fig. 6 isa side elevation of the conveyor unit shown in Fig. 5;; and 7 Fig. 7 is a right-hand end view of said unit.

Referring first to Fig.1, the general organiza- 2 tion there shown comprises a warehouse or storagespace A designedto store or house freight more or less permanently for varying lengths of time, it being-contemplated that the rearward side of this warehouse (not shown) will be constructed to accommodate trucks for loading and situations.

unloading; may have spur tracks connected therewith for the transfer-'of freight to and from railroad connections; or designed in any other manner suited to the requirements of individual The present invention is concerned more especially with the arrangement at the front side of thewarehouse to which planes will be brought for'loading, unloading, and for the transfer offreight from one to the other. In this area, according to the present invention, a main conveyor system is provided to move freight into and out of the warehouseand also to and from a plurality of distributing or collecting systems B, C and D, each ofwhich includes branch conveyors.

In Fig. 1 this main conveyor system is indicated at 2 and preferably is constructed to accommodate double lines of moving freight. --The systemalso includes branch conveyors, such as those shown at 3,wh ich distribute the freight to various points in the warehouse during unloading, and carry it from the warehouse to the distributing centers. The controls for this system include the switches or gates commonly used with conveyor systems and located-at the junction points.

They are not here illustrated in detail because these elements themselves arewell known.

At the distribution system B, Fig. 2, the main conveyor makes-a complete reverse turn or loop around a control centerdwhich, also in the preferred arrangement, is thegeometricalcenter of this distribution area. That is, a series of branch conveyors which are indicated at 5, 6 and I, respectively, radiate from this center and are connected with'the-main conveyor in such a manner as to'receive freight from it and to deliver freight to it. Encirclingthese branch conveyors, and connecting them together, are several series of circumferentially disposed conveyor sections 8 arrangedin groups connecting the endsof the branches with'each other and also connecting the branches 5 and l with the main conveyor 2. Usually itwill be found most convenient'to make the main conveyor '2" of the power driven roller type. This also is true of the branch conveyors 5, 6 and 1. Each of the latter, however, preferably will be composed chiefiy of separate sections, independently driven, and each equipped with two parallel sets of rollswhich also can be driven independently of each other. In other words, each set usually will have its own motor and that motor will be reversible so that the rolls can be driven in either direction to convey freight to or from the loop at 4.

Some of the sections 8 also will be of telescoping construction and in some reversible power driven rollers will be used, while in others gravity rollers equipped with brakes Will be employed to provide ramps as, for example, close to, or at, the loading points or platforms.

This conveyor arrangement, and the relation between the main and distributing conveyors, will be better understood from an inspection of Fig. 3 which shows this construction on a larger scale. Switches or gates 9, l and ll,'pivoted at the inner edge of the conveyor 2, and each arranged to be operated by a crank, such as that shown at l2, are adjustable to shunt the freight into the desired side of the different branches 5, l3 and 1, and another switch-"l3 can be operated to send any desired article or portion of the freight through a connectingsection of the circuit ['14 which will make it repeat'its travel around the delivery side of the loop.

Two more of these connecting sections 15 and i6, respectively,-are located further up the main conveyor, as shown in Fig. 2, for convenience in better controlling the traffic.

It is contemplated that an" operator will be stationed at the center] and an elevated platform l 1,;Fi g. 3, 15 provided for this purpose, the controlling elements I 2'for the different switches being located withinhis convenient reachso that he can readily control the flow of goods to any desired point of this distributing center B. A stairway 4' is provided for the convenience of the operator.

The'telescoping nature of certain sections, as above mentioned, will be better understood from the larger illustration in Fig. 4, which shows the construction at the junction of the branch section 5 with the circumferential section 8. From this figure it will be seen that each of the straight sections 5'5 at the end of the branch 5 consists of a light frame work, mounted on Wheels, the conveyor track with its rollers being so hinged or suspended that at least one end' can be raised or lowered. However, the normal horizontal level of this track preferably is seven or eight feet, or more, above the wheels, thus'prov'iding a space for travel below the" conveyor itself. 'The sides and top of each section'preferably are covered with waterproof :irjatei ial' er some 'light weight character, such"as' canvasjTfFig. 4, and those used inthe tranche, sand I may be of the same size and abuttedtogether, end to end, with a bellows connection between them, as indicated at l8'in Fig. 3. But the circumferential sections 8, while made of thffsamej' construction, should be so dimensioned asto telescope one within the other, as clearly shown iriFig. 4'.

At the junctionbf' eachi'fof the: branch conveyors 5', 6 and 1' withthe'circumeferential conveyor units or sections, a's'pecial junction'section is providedfasshownat l9i'njFig.4. The frame of this section,"w'hich i'sfpartly broken away in Fig.4, issom'ewhat'T-shaped, including an end to abut against or be otherwise joined to the endmost section 5""of'the branchconveyor, and two arms to'be joined,"respectively, to the next adjacent circumferential sections 8 at opposite sides of it. In the particular arrangement illustrated in Fig. 4 the'bran'ch' 5 near its junction with the section l9 has two parallel roller conveyor sections 5a, and 5b which ordinarily are in cooperative relationship to curved roller sections l9a and [9b that diverge at this point and join the circumferential section [90. The latter may be either a single or a double lane conveyor but is shown in Fig. 4 as of the former type. At the righthand end of the conveyor section I90, as shown in Fig. 4, it discharges onto an inclined conveyor 21 which, for loading only, is of the brake controlled gravity roller type, and which, in turn, discharges on to another roller conveyor 8' of the telescoping section 8. The same construction may be used at the opposite arm of the section l9. These telescoping sections 8 preferably are supported on wheels which are mounted on tracks. The foregoing is a special condition, and a different construction would be used for both loading and unloading,

This special junction section also is constructed to accommodate the nose loading or end loading of planes which is now becoming more common. That is, the conveyor section 5b, Which may be assumed to be of the brake controlled gravity roll type, is here shown as leading down to another roller ramp 21, the end of which projects beyond the frame for this section [9 where it forms, in effect, a loading platform adapted to fit into the cargo door at the nose of a plane, or into the rear end of a truck.

With this telescoping arrangement the sections 8 can be adjusted to accommodate the side loading of planes, such as those shown at X, Y and. Z in Fig. 2, the large plane X requiring considerably more space than the two smaller planes Y and Z. Also, additional planes obviously could be accommodated in the space between the branches 6 and l and in that at the left of the branch I, Fig. 2. It should also be noted that the plane X, Fig. 2, can be loaded simultaneously from both sides. Thus the telescoping construction of the sections 8 permits great flexibility in accommodating planes of different types and sizes and, consequently, having different loading and unloading characteristics.

It will also be observed that because the conveyors are reversible, the plane Z, for example, Fig. 2, may be unloaded simultaneously with the loading of one or both of the planes X and Y. In fact, by using conveyors in the branches 5, G and l which are divided longitudinally and are independently driven by reversible motors, freight may be moved outward away from the loop along one conveyor lane of any individual branch, While other articles of cargo are travelling inwardly along the other lane to said loop.

The distribution system'C, Fig. 1, is a duplicate of that shown at B. It is contemplated that, for convenience in handling the freight in the warehouse, one of these'distribution systems will normally be used for outgoing freight and the other for incoming freight, but this plan necessarily will be modified in accordance with the reqquirements of individual installations.

The third distribution system D is smaller than either of the others, but it includes a branch conveyor 22, Fig. 1, and circumferential sections 23 which may be made up of sections like those shown at 8 and i9, so that in this system planes may be end loaded orside loaded, as desired.

Where planes require loading and unloading from ground level, they may be accommodated by the conveyors 2| at the junction sections l9, or at ground level loading platforms, such as that shown at 24, Fig. 2,'in the section 23.

Because of the great flexibility in the construction and operation ofconveyorsystems-as'now available commercially, the provision made :for building them'in standard sections, for adjustment into different "inclinations, and with the multitude of switching arrangements with spur, frog and junction connections," together with "the different types of conveyor elements themselves, such as'b'elts'and rollers of different types, it is possible to meet almost any condition with a system such as that here shown.

Preferably the main "conveyor system is enclosed and posts 25 shown in Fig. 3therefore are provided to support walls 26 of'an enclosure, the walls, in turn, supporting the-roof. In the distribution systems the conveyors are enclosed by the construction of the respective units of which they are-composed.

A conveyor unit of the reversible power driven roller type, suitable for use at different points in the system, is illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and '7. It comprises a series of rollers 30 supported in a structural steel frame 29, each of these rollers having a gear 35] secured rigidly to one end. Between adjacent gears 30 are additional idler gears 3| meshing with the gears 30' and serving to transmit power from one roller to the next adjacent roller. The entire series of rollers in this particular arrangement is driven from an electric motor 32 through a reversible gear mecha nism which may be of any suitable type. As shown, it comprises bevel gears 33 and 34, the former mounted loosely on the motor shaft and the latter fast on the shaft of the upper end roller 3!) of the series. Each of these bevel gears carries one element of a jaw clutch on the surface adjacent to the other, and between them is a clutch member 36 splined to the motor shaft but movable by means of the lever 31 to connect either bevel gear positively to the shaft. When the clutch member 36 connects the bevel gear 34 to the roller shaft, then all of the rolls 30 are revolved in the same direction in which the motor shaft rotates, but when the clutch 36 positively connects the bevel gear 33 with the motor shaft, then motion is transmitted from this shaft through the intermediate bevel gear 35 to the bevel gear 34, thus driving the latter gear and all of the rolls 30 in the opposite direction.

This conveyor unit is not of applicants invention but is a prior art form of power driven roller conveyor suitable for use in applicants system.

This invention reduces very substantially the expense involved in loading cargo into, or unloading it from, an airplane, not only because of the labor saving in handling the cargo by conveyors, but also because it is possible to prepare the cargo to be loaded well in advance of that operation and so to arrange it in the warehouse that it can be run on to the conveyor and out to the cargo door of the plane very quickly, once the plane is ready to receive it. In unloading a plane, the fact that articles of the cargo start moving away from the plane on the conveyors immediately after leaving the cargo door or doors, avoids congestion around the planes themselves and in the movement of the cargo to the warehouse, or to its immediate destination. Also, when cargo is to be transferred from one plane to another, it can readily be done, for example, at one of the junction points 19 where the articles can be run out of the cargo door of one plane on to the conveyor I90, for example, which will deliver it a moment later to the cargo door of another plane.

While we have herein shown and described a 6 preferred embodiment" of our invention,- it will be evident that the invention-"may 'beembodied in a great variety of'other forms without-departing from-the spirit or scope thereof. In fact, the organization of a system embodying this invention necessarily will depend, toa large degree, upon the requirements of individual installations.

Havingthus described our invention, what we desire to claim as new is:

1. An airplane freight terminal comprising 1 a main conveyor having a loop'in which it makes a turn about a center, a plurality of airplane loading points-spaced around said center, branch conveyors connecting said points with said loop and arranged to move articles of freight continuously fr'om one conveyor to' another, and additional conveyor sections conn'ecting'said loading points and cooperating with said branchconveyorsto form, in effect, continuations "of the latter.

2. An airplane freight terminal, comprising a distribution center, a main conveyor connecting said center with a storage space and operable automatically to transfer freight from said storage space to said center and vice-versa, branch conveyors radiating from said center and so connected therewith as to receive freight from said said main conveyor and also to deliver freight to said main conveyor, and loading platforms operatively connected with said branch conveyors to receive freight from, and to deliver it to, the latter conveyors.

3. An airplane freight terminal according to preceding claim 2, including one or more additional conveyor sections each connecting two of said branch conveyors together.

4. An airplane freight terminal according to preceding claim 2, in which one of said platforms is constructed to accommodate end loading of a plane and another side loading.

5. An airplane freight terminal according to preceding claim 2, including conveyor extensions leading from the ends of two of said branches to a loading platform located between them.

6. An airplane freight terminal according to preceding claim 2, including conveyor extensions leading from the ends of two of said branches to two loading platforms located between them and spaced to accommodate a plane between them for loading simultaneously from both branches.

'7. An airplane freight terminal according to preceding claim 2, including conveyor extensions leading from the ends of two of said branches to two loading platforms located between them, said platforms being spaced to accommodate two planes, whereby both planes may be loaded simultaneously from said branches.

8. An airplane freight terminal according to preceding claim 2, including a telescoping extension at the end of one of said branches.

9. An airplane freight terminal according to preceding claim 2, including telescoping connections adjustable to connect the ends of a plurality of said branches simultaneously with the cargo doors of a plurality of planes located between said ends.

10. An airplane freight terminal according to preceding claim 2, including a telescoping extension at the end of one of said branches, said extension including conveyor sections and a track supporting them for adjustment, one relatively to another, along an arc having its center located at said distribution center.

11. An airplane freight terminal according to preceding claim 2, including a telescoping extension at the end of one of said branches, said extension including conveyor sections and a housing for each section, successive sections being constructed for telescoping adjustment, one within another.

12. An airplane freight terminal according to preceding claim 2, in which said main conveyor makes a loop at said center and includes a return run to the storage space, in combination with switches adjustable to control the flow of freight between said main conveyor and said respective branch conveyors.

13. An airplane freight terminal according to preceding claim 2, including telescoping sections in parts of said distribution system.

14. An airplane freight terminal comprising a main conveyor system having runs leading to and from a distribution loop in which the conveyor makes a turn around the center, a plurality of airplane loading points spaced around said center, a circumferentially disposed conveyor section connecting said loading points, and branch conveyors connecting said circumferentially disposed sections with said loop, said conveyors being constructed, and, arranged to transfer freight automatically from one conveyor to another.

JORGE GONZALEZ.

YUSUF MEER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,069,431 Johnston Aug. 5, 1913 1,204,428 Grandfield Nov. 14, 1916 

